Postcards

[FROGSMILE]

42 minutes ago, gunnerwalker said:

One I picked up recently and like rather a lot - 5th Gloucesters at Cheltenham.

I think the sergeant seated centre and looking away from the camera is wearing a Queen Victoria Volunteer Force Long Service Medal, as perhaps is the lance-corporal next to him also with a Queen's South Africa Medal.

By my count among the group there are two each QV Volunteer Force Long Service, Queen's South Africa and Territorial Force Efficiency Medals on show. I also count at least 16 Territorial Proficiency Stars worn in the front two rows alone (and possibly a 17th worn by the man standing far left though hard to see with his hands behind his back and out of focus).

Printed by the Photo Enlarging Company, 463 High Street, Cheltenham.

You’ve done well to pick everything out, but on a technical point, the cuff stars are ‘efficiency stars’.  The proficiency star had 4-points and was worn on its own above the sergeant’s and colour sergeant’s rank badge once they had been examined in set subjects and qualified.

Edited 26 May by FROGSMILE

[Bob Davies]

50 minutes ago, gunnerwalker said:

One I picked up recently and like rather a lot - 5th Gloucesters at Cheltenham.

It is certainly a cracking picture, thanks for sharing it.

Now what is our mustachioed soldier sitting cross-legged, front rank, 2nd from right wearing around his neck?

Screenshot courtesy of gunnerwalker.

[FROGSMILE]

8 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

It is certainly a cracking picture, thanks for sharing it.

Now what is our mustachioed soldier sitting cross-legged, front rank, 2nd from right wearing around his neck?

Screenshot courtesy of gunnerwalker.

His mum’s knitted scarf.  “Don’t tell them Pike”.

Thanks to @gunnerwalker for sharing a great image.

Edited 26 May by FROGSMILE

[Bob Davies]

17 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

His mum’s knitted scarf.  “Don’t tell them Pike”.

Thanks to @gunnerwalker for sharing a great image.

Thanks FROGMILE, also for the explanation of the 'efficiency stars'.

''Your name will also go on the list!''

[gunnerwalker]

39 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

on a technical point, the cuff stars are ‘efficiency stars’.

You know I initially had ‘efficiency stars’ and thought that wasn’t right and corrected myself, or so I thought. Thanks for explaining the difference as I wasn’t aware there were two types.

27 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

It is certainly a cracking picture, thanks for sharing it.

Now what is our mustachioed soldier sitting cross-legged, front rank, 2nd from right wearing around his neck?

Screenshot courtesy of gunnerwalker.

Yes I’d spotted that too. Interesting choice to wear it for what is otherwise a fairly formal photo. 

[Bob Davies]

1 minute ago, gunnerwalker said:

You know I initially had ‘efficiency stars’ and thought that wasn’t right and corrected myself, or so I thought. Thanks for explaining the difference as I wasn’t aware there were two types.

Yes I’d spotted that too. Interesting choice to wear it for what is otherwise a fairly formal photo. 

and there is always one with a fag in his gob.

[FROGSMILE]

1 minute ago, gunnerwalker said:

Thanks for explaining the difference as I wasn’t aware there were two types.

Interestingly proficiency stars have survived in the auxiliary forces for a long time.  They are still used by the ACF and CCF (Army) and divided into two halves, known as Part 1 and Part 2 of Certificate A (a test of proficiency in two parts).

[poona guard]

2 hours ago, gunnerwalker said:

Perhaps taken when they'd only just joined the battalion and not yet affixed their new insignia?

Possibly

The stars were still being worn on the Western Front.

[gunnerwalker]

1.  Jonathan William Jerome, born 19th March 1885, and Emily Jane Jerome (nee Taylor), born 12th March 1888. The couple lived at 56 South Street, Reading. Jonathan worked for Huntley and Palmers biscuit manufacturer, and Emily had previously worked as a domestic servant.

 

2.  Jonathan and Emily seated. It was suggested the man standing is Emily's brother "Harry" Taylor, but I'm yet to find census evidence supporting this. She had three brothers I can find; Walter, Henry and William. I think he bears more of a resemblance to Jonathan but his Hampshire Regiment (?) cap badge doesn't fit with military records I've found among the Jerome siblings. Jonathan was the eldest of 10 children; one of the other three brothers, Francis, also served in uniform with the 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade Transport & Supply Column, ASC.

 

3.  Jonathan in uniform with Emily. They had a daughter, Lilian, born on the 24th May 1916. In June 1916, 26330 Pte. Jonathan Jerome enlisted in Reading and proceeded to France in October, where he served with B Coy., 6th Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was killed on the 30th July 1917, aged 32, and is commemorated on the Menin Gate.

 

All photos produced by Gaelic Studios, 17 Oxford Street, Reading.

Edited 27 May by gunnerwalker

[TomWW1]

Here are a couple of photos of George Ford 27013 of the Leicestershire Regiment. Does anybody have any war diaries I can read that may mention him and how would I go about finding his name if it was mentioned?

[TomWW1]

6 minutes ago, TomWW1 said:

Here are a couple of photos of George Ford 27013 of the Leicestershire Regiment. Does anybody have any war diaries I can read that may mention him and how would I go about finding his name if it was mentioned?

Update: I found the war diaries and there seems to be no mention of George

[tankengine888]

5 minutes ago, TomWW1 said:

Here are a couple of photos of George Ford 27013 of the Leicestershire Regiment. Does anybody have any war diaries I can read that may mention him and how would I go about finding his name if it was mentioned?

 

 

War Diaries of the First War usually mention only officers directly. If George was the only one wounded on a day, it'd be listed '1 OR wounded' in the war diary- that's my experience of it.

Isn't this the same man who was commissioned?

[TomWW1]

1 minute ago, tankengine888 said:

War Diaries of the First War usually mention only officers directly. If George was the only one wounded on a day, it'd be listed '1 OR wounded' in the war diary- that's my experience of it.

Isn't this the same man who was commissioned?

I think it is the same man in all honesty I can’t really remember 

[tankengine888]

Just now, TomWW1 said:

I think it is the same man in all honesty I can’t really remember 

I looked back- twice wounded, Lance Corporal to Lance Sergeant, Discharged for Commission on Feb 2nd 1919

 

[TomWW1]

1 minute ago, tankengine888 said:

I looked back- twice wounded, Lance Corporal to Lance Sergeant, Discharged for Commission on Feb 2nd 1919

 

Thank you for that

[FROGSMILE]

8 hours ago, gunnerwalker said:

but his Hampshire Regiment (?) cap badge doesn't fit with military records I've found among the Jerome siblings.

It does look more like the Hampshire Regiment, a very circular badge.  Perhaps he was with a training battalion and temporarily wearing that badge in the U.K. before the Training Reserve was created, which adopted as cap insignia a GS button on a circular red felt patch to replace the previous regimental badges.  Many men wore badges early in their training that were different to the regiment that they actually served with once arrived at an infantry base depot in France. 

Edited 27 May by FROGSMILE

[Muerrisch]

19 hours ago, poona guard said:

Possibly

The stars were still being worn on the Western Front.

Please do you have any photos of such to share?

I have had a speed-read of my easy access photos: not a single efficiency or indeed proficiency star on kosher Western Front images. I don't doubt hat there were some, but a few pictures would beat a thousand words.

Edited 27 May by Muerrisch
addendum

[poona guard]

Will look but I can't promise to find it.

[Muerrisch]

12 minutes ago, poona guard said:

Will look but I can't promise to find it.

Thank you.

[GWF1967]

King's Shropshire Light Infantry and Montgomeryshire Yeomanry.

"Taffy + Ned Price.  Ch.(arles) Cadwalader and Son"  -  The second card is unmarked, but clearly features the same four. 

[Muerrisch]

That soupstrainer tash!

Both photos taken on the same occasion.

Edited 27 May by Muerrisch
addendum

[Stereoview Paul]

19 hours ago, Muerrisch said:

Please do you have any photos of such to share?

I have had a speed-read of my easy access photos: not a single efficiency or indeed proficiency star on kosher Western Front images. I don't doubt hat there were some, but a few pictures would beat a thousand words.

Not on the Western Front, but a contemporary photo from a Zeppelin raid on Kings Lynn - January 1915

 

[Muerrisch]

Great, thank you very much!

I have had a look at my notes on efficiency and proficiency badges re. the TF as opposed to VF.

1908  TF Regs .............lozenge for curreny year: no mention; efficiency star 4 years.

1910  TF Regs ..............star for 4 years "qualified", no mention "efficient" 

...........................................star for "proficient" sergeants no mention.

NB highly unlikely any such awards during the Great War.

The old sergeant in the photo picked up a fair number of stars at the 5 year qualification and then some at the 4 years  [qualification period became 4 years in 1908]

Edited 28 May by Muerrisch
supplement

[gunnerwalker]

14178 Pte. Albert Edward Thompson, 12th Battalion (Bristol's Own), Gloucestershire Regiment.

Born in Bedminster, Bristol, in July 1889. Married Elsie Mabel Long on the 5th September 1915 having already enlisted and they lived at 164 Coronation Road.

Landed in France on the 21st November 1915. Died of wounds on the 7th September 1916, aged 27, two days after his first wedding anniversary. Buried at La Neuville British Cemetery where his headstone reads "LORD ALL PITYING JESU BLEST GRANT HIM THINE ETERNAL REST (R.I.P.)". He is also remembered on a plaque in St. Mary Redcliffe Church near where he lived which remembers choir members who were killed in the war.

The back of the postcard reads "Albert Edward Thompson, Elsie Long's first husband".

[gunnerwalker]

5th Gloucesters at Bustard Camp, 1910, by M. H. Hack of Cheltenham. Note the protective shoulder cover worn by almost all of them.

There are photos of Gloucestershire territorials in 1914/15 at their Essex stations prior to going overseas which were taken by a J. W. Hack of Suffolk Road, Cheltenham. Likely the two Hacks are related. The latter, John Walters Hack, joined the 2/5th Gloucesters later in the war and was killed in action on the 21st April 1918, aged 37, during the Battle of the Lys. 

 

Royal Engineers in marching order and their Army Service Corps driver.

Edited 28 May by gunnerwalker